What You May Not Know About An Auto Accident Settlement
Michael Babboni
Car Accidents
Every day, thousands of people in Florida are injured in an auto accident. Thankfully, many of these injuries are fairly minor, but even when they are they can still come with some very real financial challenges. In particular, things like medical costs and potential lost wages due to missing work can have a big impact on your financial health. And when you’re stressed about that, it can be difficult to focus on healing physically.That’s why seeking financial compensation for your injuries is so important, and why everyone needs to talk to a personal injury lawyer when they’ve been involved in an accident. However, a number of people may feel like this isn’t required. After all, they’ve already been offered a cash settlement from the insurance companies. But there are several things that may not be obvious where auto accidents are concerned, and taking a closer look at them will help you see some of the facts you might not be aware of.
The Insurance Companies Will Work Against You
The first thing that anyone involved in an accident needs to understand is that insurance companies don’t always have your best interests at heart. After all, the more that they pay out in settlements, the lower their bottom line at the end of the year will be.
Because of this, insurance companies take various steps to try to avoid paying out anything. Denying claims outright, stalling cases, asking for large amounts of paperwork that they don’t even really need, and trying to confuse those injured are just a few examples of the steps that they might take to try to avoid paying out what someone is truly owed.
Those Settlement Offers May Be A Shady Tactic
One of the biggest ways that insurance companies avoid paying out what injured parties deserve is through lowball settlement offers. The idea is simple – they stall or delay giving you anything to make it seem like you’re not going to be able to get any compensation. Then, they offer a settlement amount that is lower than what you’re really owed.
Seeing the chance to get a little bit of cash for one’s injuries can often be enough to trick them into accepting a settlement amount that is worth far less than what they are actually owed. A fair settlement includes a number of factors including:
- Medical costs
- Lost wages at work
- Future potential medical costs
- Future potential lost wages
- Compensation for mental stress and anguish
In short, a lot of different things need to be considered in order to make certain that a settlement is what it should be. Accepting the first thing an insurance company offers may be enticing, but might not be in your best interests.
The Difference An Attorney Makes
The only way to know for sure if you’re getting a fair settlement offer, and the only way to stand up to those insurance companies effectively, is to speak to a personal injury lawyer as soon as you can following your accident.
A good personal injury lawyer will be able to use professionals in their field to determine things like future lost wages or future potential medical bills, then determine what a fair settlement is. This way you avoid the risk of accepting a settlement that is lower than you truly deserve.
Additionally, with an attorney on your side you get faster results and more respect. Insurance companies know that with the right accident lawyer on your side that they need to work with you fairly, and they’ll be much more likely to do just that since they know their intimidation and stall tactics aren’t anywhere near as effective.
The bottom line is simple – to get the best chance at recovering financially as well as physically following an accident, you need help from the pros. Contacting an auto accident lawyer is the key. Our team has decades of experience helping Florida residents get the compensation they’re owed. Contact us today to get your consultation.